Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, has condemned in very strong terms the militarization of some part of the South-East under Operation Python Dance “in the obvious attempt to arrest the growing influence of the Nnamdi Kanu led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)”.
In a statement issued by the OPC on Thursday, and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Oguntimehin, it said the agitation of IPOB could be fruitfully addressed through dialogue rather than by use of brute force as chosen the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group said it did not believe there was any security threat in Umuahia and its environs to warrant the deployment of soldiers to intimidate and molest innocent Nigerians who are going about their lawful business.
The Federal Government should be careful in handling the IPOB issue, adding that any agitation that has been able to attract international sympathy and support like that of IPOB should be handled with utmost care and high degree of diplomacy, the Pan Yoruba group said.
According to OPC history does not favour military suppression of agitating groups, citing the case of Odi where MEND surfaced strongly and serious damage was done to the nation’s economy even after the President Olusegun Obasanjo led Federal Government was supposed to have successfully muscled the South South community to silence.
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